AN ELECTRIFYING PROBLEM

DRC has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world, and only 1 percent of rural households has access to electricity. Most families instead rely on firewood and charcoal to meet their domestic energy needs.

“Makala, as charcoal is locally known, is basically used by all rural households for cooking,” explains Bourland. “The problem is that this is putting a huge pressure on forests.” In fact, the World Bank estimates that around 84 percent of all harvested wood in the country is used for domestic energy production, and demand is only expected to increase as population grows.

While access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is on top of the international development agenda, and one of the Sustainable Development Goals, this is by no means an easy enterprise in DRC. Due to poor infrastructure and widespread mismanagement of public services, the best way forward is through local solutions.

“For 18 months we carried out diverse studies to determine the best alternative to supply electricity in this landscape,” says Bourland. “The outcomes showed that biomass is the most efficient, and viable option to meet the local energy needs.” The studies in question show how other energy sources, such as wind power or hydroelectricity, would not be feasible in this context. And while solar panels could provide a good supplementary energy alternative, good quality products in the region are scarce. What’s more, high humidity and intense rainfall limit the lifespan of panels, and Yangambi’s remote location creates a Gargantuan obstacle of repairs.

Other advantages of biomass, according to the scientists, include the relatively low initial investment, and the widespread availability of raw material in Yangambi. “There are some abandoned industrial rubber and palm plantations that we are planning to use to start producing energy this year”, adds Bourland. “Then, our plantations will be ready to take over with the first harvests in 2025 or 2026.”

Most of the trees planted are acacias (Acacia auriculiformis ), a fast-growing species that has an outstanding calorific value. “It has been proved very efficient for biomass projects all over the world,” says Bourland. The rest of the trees are local species that also have potential for energy production, such as flat-crown trees (Albizia adianthifolia), and ilomba (Pycnanthus angolensis). Some of those species could potentially also be used for timber production.

Biomass generation will take place in Yangambi and Ngazi area, two communities about 100 kilometers away from the city of Kisangani, which host old industrial sites that will be repurposed for this project.

TREES TO BENEFIT ALL

Despite that electricity generation will be the main use of these plantations, not all trees will serve this purpose. The local community will also be able to use some of them for woodfuel production, reducing pressure on the neighboring forests. “Even if there is electricity available, some families will still use makala for cooking,” explains Van Hulle. “Thus, if they use wood from the plantations, we can avoid the overexplotation of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve.”

Furthermore, the plantations are integrating agroforestry systems, meaning that families are cultivating their crops between lines of trees, which is expected to help restore soil fertility. Some trees will also be used to collect caterpillars and honey, helping improve the food security and nutrition of local communities.

A FUTURE OF OPPORTUNITIES

Perhaps the most important benefit of this project is the creation of jobs for locals. Decades of political instability have led to the closure of most industries in the region, and very few formal employment opportunities remain.

From gathering seeds, to planting and taking care of trees, these plantations require manpower at all levels. “We have hired security guards, day laborers, drivers, local technicians, and many more people,” says Van Hulle. “Around 180 men and women have already been employed, and we’re expecting to add another 220 by 2021.” These figures only include the plantations, and it is foreseen that electricity generation will create more jobs, he clarifies.

“Kicking off this project has not been simple,” says Bourland. “Our first challenge was the lack of a qualified workforce”. While in previous times locals had experience in industrial plantations, the present generation was not skilled for most of the required jobs. “We had to train them,” says Van Hulle, “but the results are very satisfying, they are all very motivated and happy to have an income at the end of the day”.

However, despite the good spirits, a few challenges remain. One of the most important is to care for the trees under unpredictable conditions. “The plantations rely on natural rain cycles, so to ensure that there is enough water to help the trees grow we have two planting seasons a year,” explains Van Hulle. “However last year, rains were late, and our trees almost died.” Slash-and-burn agriculture also poses the risk of uncontrolled fires, which means that plantations have to be protected.

Moreover, while access to electricity and job creation are essential to rural development, the region’s economy remains precarious and poor infrastructure limits its potential. This is why FORETS is working to attract private and public investment and to kick-start other income-generating activities in the fields of agriculture, fishing and logging. “These plantations are the first step towards a better future in Yangambi. But we still have a lot of work to do,” concludes Bourland.